Following is a summary of Delaware
National Guard operations in support
of Gulf Coast relief efforts:

Aeromedical missions fall under National Guard Bureau authority and operationally fall under United States Air Force, Air Mobility Command actical airlift operations (called Tanker Airlift Control Center, or TACC, missions.

Missions in reverse order, with most recent first (other flights did return earlier in this period after Aug. 31, but all are not noted here).

Expected return flight Sept. 6 or 7: One C-130 is anticipated to return to New Castle County Airport sometime very late tonight Sept. 6, or very early morning Sept. 7 from Kelly Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas. Like many of these missions,
times, starting points and destinations are open to last minute change.

SEVENTH MISSION -- 9th aircraft Tue. Sept. 6 -- At 1:12 p.m., one C-130 aircraft took off carrying four troops departing for Hattiesburg, Miss. The four are comprised of three firefighters from the 166th Fire Protection Flight, DE Air National Guard, and one soldier from the DE Army Guard Judge Advocate General's office. The aircraft is carrying a 30,000 pound fire fighting vehicle, which is a historic first as it marks the first time this vehicle has been carried in a Delaware Air Guard C-130 aircraft. The fire vehicle and fire fighters will be used anywhere the Miss. National Guard directs. The aircraft is to leave Hattiesburg today, then fly to Kelly Air Force Base, Texas, to pick up several aeromedical passengers, and most likely return to Delaware sometime Wed. night, Sept. 7.

NOTE: This Sept. 6 mission makes a total of a minimum of 194 troops from the Delaware National Guard currently deployed to the Gulf Coast. From this point on, numbers will likely change every several days to a modest degree, but we will try to keep news media informed of changes of a larger nature, such as increases or decreases of 25 to 50 people, or personnel changes due to new areas of operation.

Return flights
-- One unit C-130 arrived back at New Castle County Airport late Sunday night, Sept. 4, after departing Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport.
-- A second C-130 arrived back at New Castle County Airport about 1:00 a.m., Tuesday Sept. 6, carrying 10 aeromedical evacuation Airmen from Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport or nearby air bases in Texas.

SIXTH MISSION - 7th and 8th aircraft Sun. Sept 4 -- Seven members of the Port Authority of New York and New
Jersey with three vehicles and two utility trailers to arrive on base about 8:00 a.m., and depart aboard two C-130 aircraft about NOON for Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. If all equipment cannot be transported Sat., other means will be found to transport to Gulf Coast. NOTE: This Sept. 4 mission makes a total of a minimum of 190 troops from the Delaware National Guard currently deployed to the Gulf Coast.

FIFTH MISSION -- 6th aircraft Sat. Sept. 3 -- 15 aeromedical evacuation specialists (from 142nd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, DE Air National Guard) left in one C-130 aircraft for Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport to transport patients by aircraft to hospitals outside Louisiana.

FOURTH MISSION -- 5th aircraft Fri. Sept. 2 -- 51 troops with a wide range of skill sets, all but one from Del. Army Guard,  left in one C-130 aircraft for Jackson, Miss.

THIRD MISSION -- 4th aircraft Thur. Sept 1 -- 50 troops (50 Airmen from Del. Air Guard) left in one C-130 aircraft for Jackson, Miss. on a general purpose mission with over 30 civil engineer personnel and the remainder people with a variety of mixed skills needed to keep the airport facilities at Jackson up and running and able to expand to support more relief activities

SECOND MISSION -- 3rd aircraft Thur. Sept. 1 -- Five aeromedical evacuation specialists (from 142nd Aeromedical Evacuation Squadron, DE Air National Guard) plus 2 members of DEMA -- Delaware Emergency Management Agency -- and one DEMA vehicle (Dodge Durango) left in one C-130 aircraft for Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. The medical team transports patients by aircraft to hospitals outside Louisiana.

FIRST MISSION -- 1st and 2nd aircraft Wed. Aug. 31 -- 69 troops left for Jackson, Miss in two C-130 aircraft for a security mission (44 Army Guard and 23 Air Guard for a total of 67 in security mission, plus one public affairs officer and one videographer)


Tech. Sgt. Ben Matwey
Public Affairs Specialist
Delaware Air National Guard
166th Airlift Wing
302-323-3369